Explorers of Shambala
by Gabumon Noodles
Summary: Roy, Ed and Al enter the Pokemon world as Charmander, Totodile and Treecko! Under the name "Team Mini Skirts," their epic journey to save time and space begins! But can they also find their way back to Amestris? FMA/Mystery Dungeon crossover.
1. A Storm At Sea

**My first crossover fanfic! I always thought Roy should be a Charmander. For Ed and Al, the choices were trickier. I imagined Ed as a quirky and rambunctious water Pokemon. Totodile was the best fit for him. :3 I could see Al as a quiet and calm grass Pokemon, so I went with Treecko. There you have it; on with the story!**

**Note: This takes place after the events of FMA Brotherhood and FMA manga.**

Explorers of Shambala

Chapter 1: A Storm At Sea

_**For many centuries, it was known among alchemists that two parallel worlds existed: Earth and Shambala. In recent years, however, a completely new world crossed the awareness of a select few. Sentient creatures called Pokemon were the inhabitants of that newly discovered world. To most humans, Pokemon were regarded as legends and myths. A few skilled alchemists proved that wrong by succeeding in traveling to the Pokemon world by special means. It was known that whoever didn't have a Pokemon counterpart (much like the case on Earth) could travel between the two worlds. The alchemists attempted to befriend and establish a connection with the Pokemon. But those alchemists hadn't been heard from since. So the Pokemon world continues to be shrouded in mystery and wonder. That is, until...**_

Edward Elric couldn't grasp what was going on. All he remembered was a brightly glowing alchemical gate, and his own body hurtling into it. He was caught in a gale storm of chaos and confusion. Then he heard voices surrounding him. They sounded strangely familiar.

"Brother! Where are you?"

"Fullmetal!"

Ed's eyes widened. Alphonse and Colonel Mustang were swept in along with him!  
To his relief, their voices and bodies were nearby. Ed struggled and fought to reach toward them. But just as he did, a cold blast of water crashed into them. He saw Al's horrified face as they hurtled away from each other. Al desperately extended his arm and grasped empty air.

"Brother! Help me!"

'This feels...just like the night Al and I attempted human transmutation.' Dread and despair clenched at Ed's stomach. Even Roy had panic stamped on his face as the three of them separated even further under unforgiving torrents of water. Feelinng disoriented and nauseous, Ed shut his eyes tightly. He nearly choked as he sucked in water instead of air.

'A gate transmuted us underwater?'

Blinding white light flashed and faded through the thin skin of his eyelids. Deafening booms and crashes immediately followed.

'It's thundering! It's so loud...it feels so close...'

He couldn't hear his brother or the Colonel anymore. His ears only heard the pounding of water, and the hammering of his own heart. Then his lungs began to burn. His head began to throb with the overwhelming urge to breathe.

'Air...I need air. I need to get to the surface.' Ed thought wildly.

He kicked and clawed his way up with all his might. He let in an explosive gasp as soon as his head broke the water's surface. A tidal wave pounded his back and sent him barreling into the water again. The whole ocean seemed to toss and turn in agony as the storm boomed overhead.

It was a tiring cycle of fighting upwards to breathe, and ducking to narrowly avoid the incoming waves. Ed's arms, legs and shoulders ached till he couldn't feel them anymore.  
'It's too much. I won't make it.'

Ed blacked out, and felt nothing as the storm never showed any signs to cease.

* * *

Alphonse let out a slow, painful moan. His back felt something wet, rough and grainy underneath. He waved his arms, and winced as soreness lanced through his muscles.  
'Good...I'm alive.'

His hands groped whatever was under him. Clumps of sand crumbled under his clenched fingers. He dimly heard the rhythmatic pulse of the ebbing tide.

"Where am I?" he groaned out loud.

Gritting his teeth, Al sat up and stretched. He stumbled to his feet and looked up. His eyes ached, and he squinted at the bright afternoon light. The sky was a clear, marine blue, and the sun hung high. An endless watery stretch formed the horizon in front of him.

"This must be a beach of some sort..."

Then Al's brow scrunched in confusion as he looked down. The water seemed much closer to him than he thought. And he was fully standing on his two legs. Al gasped in shock as soon as he gazed into the reflecting water. Instead of a teenager boy with shortly cropped blond hair, Al saw a green gecko-like creature gawking back at him. Al leaned in for a better, closer look. It had wide yellow eyes and a red underbelly. He instinctively raised his hand to wave at it. To his great surprise, the gecko mirrored his exact move. He looked at his hand, only to find that he didn't have a hand at all. The "hand" resembled a green frog's padded digits. His legs were also short and green. Al moved them around, and felt something behind him, sort of like a weight tugging at his back. He turned his head, and saw a dark green tail connected to his rear end. Al struggled to get his disoriented mind together.

'Whoa...this is all so weird. Did I just turn into a...what was it called again? A Treecko? That's right! I've turned into a Treecko!'

Al plopped back down onto the sand in disbelief.

"Oh good. You're awake."

Al lifted his head at the deep voice. He saw an orange lizard with a yellow belly approaching him. Its tail had a small, glowing flame at the tip. It trudged wearily across the sand, and bore an equally tired expression.

"Sorry Alphonse...I can't find Fullmetal anywhere."

Al blinked in bewilderment.

'Hold on. Did that lizard just talk to me?'

"How do you know my name?" Then he peered harder at the lizard and jumped up in shock. "Colonel Mustang!"

Roy, now a Charmander, nodded. "Yep. The one and only. I was afraid that you wouldn't remember my name."

"What do you mean, sir?"

"While we were swept in that storm, I performed a last-minute transmutation on all of us. It's sort of the same as Fullmetal transferring your soul to that suit of armor."

Al stared at him, wide-eyed. "You did what? Colonel, I didn't know that you could do such advanced alchemy."

"Turned out that peeking at my former teacher's research payed off. I did it because I tried to send our bodies out of the gate. But something strange happened, and we flew even further in. We also got these bodies instead. The transmutation wore me out tremendously. I did my best to tow both of you to shore." Roy lowered his gaze to the sand. "Unfortunately, I lost Fullmetal."

Al felt a thrill of terror through his gut. "Oh no! My brother! So that's why he's not with us at the beach. Where could he have possibly gone?"

Roy joined Al at the shoreline. "While you were unconscious, I searched deeper inland, and came across a place called Treasure Town. But get this: the town is inhabited by talking Pokemon, just like us in these bodies."

"Talking Pokemon? Is there any more surprise I could take?" Al groaned.

"I walked around and asked if there were any humans living nearby. They looked at me like I was crazy. The Kangaskan that owned a storage told me that the only mention of humans were in legends. That's sort of like how we regard Pokemon in Amestris. Next, I tried to look for Fullmetal. Unfortunately, given our unpredictable results, I had no idea whether he was still human, or had a Pokemon body. So here I am, returning from the town with no luck and just found you stirring."

Al nodded slowly as he absorbed this deluge of new information.

"So we're ended up in a strange world, with strange bodies and have to deal with a strange situation."

"That pretty much sums it up." Roy sighed. "I'm sorry for the mess we're in."

"No, not at all!" Al exclaimed. "If it weren't for you, our bodies and souls would be completely disconnected! We just need to look even harder for my brother."

Al got up and paced along the lengthy shoreline. Something shiny caught his eye. He turned and peered into the water. His eyes didn't deceive him; something gleamed between the coral and rocks.

"Colonel, do you see that?"

"See what?"

Roy rushed to Al's side. Al pointed at the wedged object. "There, in the water."

Roy squinted for a moment, then shook his head. "Maybe you're just imagining things, Alphonse. I see nothing but the water and the rocks."

Al shook his head stubbornly and waded into the shallow water. Roy watched curiously as Al pried the object from the wedge. Al nearly fell over as he yanked it out. He waded back to Roy and unfolded his fingers.

"See, Colonel? I didn't imagine it."

The two gazed at the object in wonder. It appeared to be a rock fragment, with one side of it perfectly smooth. And on the smooth side was a peculiar inscription. To Al, the design loosely resembled a transmutation circle with wings. But he couldn't be too sure.

"What could it be?" Roy asked.

"I don't know. It's not gleaming anymore. But how come in the water...?"

Al shook his head. He stowed it away between his two tails. "There's no time to just sit here like ducks. We need to look for my brother. Colonel, are you sure you searched everywhere in Treasure Town?"

Roy paused to think. Then he said, "Come to think of it, I didn't check the area beyond Duskull's bank, which is the easternmost shop. I didn't want to leave you unattended for too long. But now that you're awake, let's go check it out now."

The two Pokemon-alchemists headed off to Treasure Town. Al took in the new sights for a moment. Pokemon of all shapes and sizes bustled around to shop, chat or just hang out. Shops lined the road ahead of them. Roy went up to a large Pokemon with a belly pouch. Al figured it must be Kangaskan.

Roy approached her. "Um, excuse me ma'am?"

Kangaskan looked down and smiled warmly. "Oh, you must be the Charmander who wanted to search for humans. I'd say that you have a wild imagination."

Roy smiled sheepishly. "Yes, I suppose I do. Anyways, this is my companion: Alphonse Elric."

Al bowed politely at her.

"Oh, what a gentleman he is." Kangaskhan exclaimed. "He's just like you...er..."

"Roy Mustang. But just call me Roy, ma'am."

"All right then. Roy and Alphonse, two handsome names. So what can I do for you two?"

"We're just wondering what is beyond the eastern perimeter of Treasure Town." Roy replied.

"That would be Wigglytuff's Guild to the right, and up a plateau. Are you trying to form an exploration team?"

"Explora-?"

Roy cut Al off by saying, "No ma'am, we're looking for Alphonse's older brother. We think he might be in there."

Kangaskhan shook her head. "I doubt it, unless he's very capable of surviving their rigorous training. But don't let me stop you. Good luck finding him!"

"Thank you, ma'am. Let's go, Alphonse."

Roy and Al dashed off to the east.

"Sorry for interuppting you, but you yourself said that we didn't have much time." Roy said.

"It's okay, sir. I'm curious though...what's an exploration team?"

"I don't know much about it, but I think they are specialized groups that explore new places and help out other Pokemon."

"Like a state military?"

"I guess you could call it that."

Roy and Al stopped in front of a looming plateau with stairs hewn into the rock. They climbed up the stairway and stopped at the top. A pink, oddly shaped building greeted their sight. Due to the sunset, two torches burned at either side of it. But what made Al nervous was the wooden grate between them and the building's entrance.

"Alphonse, I think we should step over that grate. No, there's room for only one pers-er, Pokemon."

"I don't know, Colonel...something about this place makes me uneasy."

"We don't know till we try." Roy replied firmly. "Do you want to find your brother or not?"

Al exhaled shakily, and pulled out the fragment from his tail.

"What are you doing that for?" Roy inquired.

"Just trying to assure myself. It's strange...but I feel more confident whenever I have something alchemy-related near me. Even a piece of chalk would feel like treasure. This fragment is no different."

"Whatever works." Roy shrugged.

Al gripped the fragment close to his chest and stepped forward. As soon as his feet touched the grate, a young voice called from below: "Pokemon detected! Pokemon detected!"

A startling loud shout came next. "Whose footprint? Whose footprint?"

The first voice responded, "The footprint is Treecko's! The footprint is Treecko's!"

Al quickly jumped back and nearly dropped the fragment into the grate's holes. He shuddered. "Whoa. That was really scary."

"I'll give it a try." Roy offered. He boldly stepped up until both of his feet perched over the grate. Again, the young voice sounded. "Pokemon detected! Pokemon detected!"

"Whose footprint? Whose footprint?"

"The footprint is Charmander's! The footprint is Charmander's!"

Instead of backing down, Roy stooped and shouted between the grate's holes.

"Listen, have you seen a Treecko anywhere? Could he be in the building's interior?"

Roy winced as the obnoxiously loud voice exploded back at him. "NO! I don't know what you're TALKING about! The only Treecko we've seen was the one above the grate EARLIER! NOW GET LOST!"

Roy stumbled backwards with ringing ears and a dismayed heart.

"I told you it was scary..." Al sighed.

"Well, you heard them. Fullmetal isn't inside. If we think they're lying, they might get even angrier. Let's get back to the beach."

Roy and Al went downstairs with heavy spirits. They narrowly missed two other Pokemon that had been eavesdropping on them. Koffing and Zubat emerged from their hiding places and watched Roy and Al head back to the beach.

"Hey, did you see that?" Zubat asked.

"You bet I did." Koffing replied. "The Treecko wimp had some kind of valuable with him. Maybe it'll be worth a fortune!"

"We have to nab it from him first."

"It won't be that tough. You saw the guy. He was shaking in his toes when he stepped up to the grate. Let's go, Zubat!"

"Heh-heh!" the bat Pokemon sniggered.

"Whoa ho-ho!" the poison gas Pokemon chortled back.

**Until chapter 2! :) In Explorers of Darkness, I was a Cyndaquil named Esme, and my partner was a Piplup named Carlisle. Now they're a Lv. 97 Typhlosion and a Lv. 94 Empoleon. It really inspired me to write this fic.**


	2. The New Guild Recruits

**Thinking of ways to make this crossover work and blend well together took a lot more effort than the actual writing. Some stuff in the actual Mystery Dungeon story will be different due to the meshing of FMA concepts. My junior year has started, so I better crank out these chapters before schoolwork gets ugly. o_O**

Explorers of Shambala (2)  
The New Guild Recruits

It was well in the evening when Roy and Alphonse arrived at the beach. Al felt pretty bummed that they were still unable to find Edward. He could only hope that he would be okay. Al noticed that his tongue and throat felt uncomfortably dry. He saw nothing but saltwater and sand.

'Not a problem. At least I can transmute the water to purify and dilute the salt.'

Al clapped his hands together and brought them down into the water. But nothing happened. No telltale spark of blue electricity, and no sign of fresh water. Al made several more attempts, but to no avail.

"This is just like the time when Brother was in Germany. He couldn't use any alchemy there. We can't perform alchemy here either." he sighed. "Maybe this is why alchemists couldn't return to Shambala. They're stuck here for the rest of their lives."

Roy reached out and patted Al's shoulder. "This isn't like you, Alphonse. We'll think of something. There's got to be some other way. For now, let's just deal with the situation here, and take care of ourselves."

"But how? I can't transmute the water, and you probably can't transmute fire."

Roy winked. "Not true. Watch this." he stepped away from Al, faced the horizon and let in a deep breath. Then he shouted out, "Ember!" A jet of fire immediately streamed from his open mouth and dissipated moments later. Al's own mouth dropped in disbelief.

"How did you do that without a transmutation circle?"

"I experimented with my abilities for a while." Roy explained. "It seems that this world has its own unique component. Just like Amestris has alchemy, and Earth has machines, this world has a sort of elemental manipulation. The element a Pokemon can use depends on its biological background."

"Oh! I remember now." Al exclaimed. "Brother and I keep a big book of Pokemon legends and locations. Your Pokemon's natural habitat must be a volcano, so you're a Fire-type."

Roy nodded. "Exactly. I also remember something like that as I did a little research. Now...we have to determine what your 'type' is..."

Al examined his own body. "Well...I'm green, so perhaps I control...wood? Leaves? Grass?"

Roy looked intrigued. "Maybe all of the above. Try it out, Alphonse."

"But how? From what I've seen, you just knew and said a certain word. Yet, I don't know anything that might work."

"Actually, I didn't know the word either. It just came naturally to me. Sort of like an animal instinct. Perhaps it's an attribute that came along with our new bodies. Search your mind, and try to find your instinct."

Al closed his eyes and tried to focus.

'What does this body know? What can I know...?'

Suddenly, a strange sensation overwhelmed him. Somehow, he just knew the words and actions that sprung in his head. Al faced the ocean and unleashed his move.

"Bullet Seed!"

Sharp, tiny seeds shot out of his mouth with the speed rate of a machine gun. Al stopped and blinked upon this new experience. Roy chuckled.

"Trust me, I felt the same way when I first found out too."

"Okay, so now we can defend ourselves..." Al looked around. "But how can we get food and water? We have no money...if Pokemon ever use money anyway."

"Don't worry about it. Look what I've found." Roy rushed to the mouth of a cave and pulled out something from behind a rock. It was a motley collection of seeds, berries and apples. "I came across these as I explored the cave a bit. This seems to be all that Pokemon eat...no meat or anything."

"Fine with me. I'm starving."

"Here, have a berry. Apparently, the blue ones replenish your health."

The two Pokemon fell silent as they ate their supper. As Al nibbled on his berry, he looked up and pointed.

"Look at that, Colonel!"

Roy followed the direction of Al's finger, and their eyes widened at the beautiful sight. Bright red crab Pokemon-Krabby, Al assumed they were called-perched on the rocks and squirted out bubbles that danced in the sunset. The sunlight reflected on the bubbles, making them look like colorful orbs of magic. The surreal scenery lifted Al's spirit and calmed him down. For a moment, he forgot about his doubts and worries.

Roy stared off at the bubbles that strayed to the other side of the coastline, and sat up.

"I see something on the sand."

Al gulped down the last of his Oran berry. "Hey, I think I see it too."

There was a huddled shape dangerously close to the pounding waves. It didn't make a move or a sound. But it was definitely a living thing.

Roy straightened in alarm. "It looks injured, let's go!"

They broke into a full run as they closed in on the huddled thing. Al was the first to reach it.

The Pokemon resembled a miniature crocodile, with black-rimmed eyes, red spines and a light blue body. It laid sprawled on its back with closed eyes and a comically wide mouth. Obviously, it had been zonked out. Al could clearly see the sharp fangs that lined its jaws.

'I hope it isn't dangerous...' Al thought warily.

Roy stepped forward and gently prodded it with his foot. "Hey, you. Are you alive?"

The crocodile Pokemon moaned grumpily. "Goddamn it, I didn't ask you to add to the pain. Owch...my back..."

"A little short-tempered, are we?" Roy mumbled.

The Pokemon instantly sat up and flew into a little rage. "Short? Did you just call me short? A short little bean who's the butt of every height joke? Jeez, people don't give me a break from that bullshit. Not even after I'm aching all over and coughing out salt water."

Rather than leap back in fright, Al's eyes brightened. There was no mistake in the outrageous reaction to the dreaded s-word.

"Brother! Is that you?"

The Pokemon thumped his chest proudly. "No! The name's Edward Elric, once known as the Fullmetal Alchemist and the youngest state alchemist in Amestrian history!" Then he stopped in the middle of bragging. "Wait a minute. Did you just call me Brother...?" he gawked at Al. "No...that voice, it can't be..."

Al nodded eagerly. "Yes, it's true. I'm Alphonse Elric, your little brother."

The Pokemon immediately let go of his bravado and embraced the Treecko.

"Al! I can't believe it's you! You're stuck in another body again."

"You've got a new body too, Brother."

"I do?"

"Yeah, go take a look in the water."

Ed obliged and peered at his reflection. His jaw dropped down to his chest.

"Holy shit. I'm a Totodile."

"Good to have you with us, Fullmetal, Totodile body or not." Roy said.

Ed turned to the strangely manly Charmander and instantly sobered. Even as a Totodile, he could still pull off the "Oh-crap!-it's-the-Colonel" face. "Ugh, I'd know that dreadful voice anywhere. Why am I not surprised that you're some fire lizard?"

"And why am I not surprised that even Al's Pokemon body is taller than yours?"

"It is?"

Ed hastily compared himself to Al. Then he danced an agitated jig and kicked up some sand. "Damn it damn it damn it! Fate is so cruel!"

Roy smirked. "Indeed."

"Whoa ho-ho! Hey, you three."

The trio turned to the newcomer's voice. A purple ball of gas had addressed them; behind him was a small blue bat with purple wings. The bat flew up to Al, and to everyone's surprise, it shoved Al to the ground. The fragment rolled away from Al and toward the hostile strangers. The ball of gas, Koffing, scooped it up and grinned gleefully.

"Sorry, we'll be taking that now."

The other Pokemon, Zubat, flashed its fangs in a nasty leer. "Wimps like you don't deserve to keep such wonderful treasure."

Al staggered to his feet. "Hey, what do you think you're doing?"

"What else, chicken? Treasure's only good for money-making." Koffing replied.

Before Ed or Roy could do anything, the thieves fled into the cave.

"See you later, chickens!"

Ed rushed to Al in concern. "Hey, did they hurt you? Are you all right?"

Al glared at the cave mouth. "I'm fine, Brother. But I can't forgive those crooks for stealing my fragment!"

Ed looked to Roy in slight confusion, so the Colonel explained: "Alphonse found that fragment in the ocean. It bore a strange design on it, and the stone reminded him of alchemy. So he keeps it like a good luck charm. That is, until those lowly thieves nabbed it from him."

Al looked down in shame. "Maybe they're right. Maybe I'm a coward. I could've stood up to them when I had the chance."

Ed tried to console him. "No Al, that's not true. They just came out of the blue, so it wasn't easy to just get the stone back. But we'll go with you to claim what's yours."

Roy nodded in agreement. "We'll teach those petty crooks a lesson they'll never forget!"

Al made a small smile and looked more determined. "Thanks. Let's go get that fragment!"

Ed, Al and Roy fearlessly entered the Beach Cave, ready for anything. Enemy Pokemon popped out here and there, but the trio easily stopped them with their attacks.

"Ember!" A Corsola scampered away with burning wounds.

"Bullet Seed!" Al watched a Shellos retreating from the barrage of seeds.

"Water Gun!"

Roy and Al turned to Ed in shock. Then Al shrugged. "I guess it's not a surprise. Brother always relies on his instinct, so it comes very easily to him."

"Hey, look at this."

Ed picked up a spiky seed from the ground. "I wonder what happens if I..."

Al threw up his hands in exasperation. "Brother! You can't just eat whatever you've picked up from the ground."

Ed plopped the seed into his mouth anyway. His eyes widened and turned to unleash a small explosion at a nearby Kabuto. It jumped in fear and fled.

"I have no idea what the hell it is, but I like it!" Ed smirked.

He started alternating between water attacks and Blast seeds. They plowed deeper into the cave without further problems. Finally, they stopped at the Beach Cave Pit. Al puffed up in anger as soon as he saw Koffing and Zubat.

"Um...hey, you two!"

The thieves whirled around in shock.

"An exploration team!" Koffing exclaimed.

"A-are you here to arrest us?" Zubat stammered.

"We're here to teach you a lesson, that's what." Roy growled.

Al paused, then mustered all his courage and guts into a loud yell. "Give back my fragment! It's mine!"

Koffing blinked with wide eyes for a moment, then relaxed and chortled.

"Whoa ho-ho! What a fluke! I thought you were some big-shot exploration team catching us red-handed."

"But look at you! You're trembling as you threaten us!" Zubat gloated.

Al clenched his teeth. It was true; he couldn't stop his legs from quivering.

"We were right. You really are just a big chicken!" Koffing declared.

Al felt Roy and Ed closely flank him. They fixed him with a supportive gaze. He didn't need their words to know what they're thinking.

"That's not the point!" Al retorted to Koffing and Zubat. "My friends and I will fight you to earn that fragment back!"

Koffing scoffed. "Go ahead and try."

"Here we come!"

At Ed's shout, the trio charged forward. Koffing and Zubat narrowly dodged their sudden lunge. Ed knocked Koffing down before he could release a Poison Gas attack.

"Take this! Water Gun!"

Al and Roy took down Zubat together. Al couldn't find the power to use Bullet Seed anymore, so he pounded Zubat mercilessly. He emphasized each word with each punch.

"Have. A taste. Of your own. Medicine!"

"Alphonse, get back! He's mine now!"

Al quickly leapt away as Roy unleashed his finishing move. "Eat this, you leech! Ember to the max!"

Zubat howled in pain as the flames engulfed him. It slumped into the sand, burnt and defeated. When Ed stepped backwards, he revealed a battered and drenched Koffing.

Zubat stirred painfully."This is impossible!"

"They beat us!" Koffing sputtered.

They rose and hastily retreated, but not before saying, "We won't forget this!"

"Serves them right." Ed spat into the sand where Koffing once laid.

"They dropped the fragment. Thank goodness." Al went up to retrieve his item. He turned to Ed and Roy with gratitude glowing in his eyes.

"Thank you so much for being there with me. I wouldn't have stood up and defeated them without your help..."

"No problem, Al." Ed gave him a toothy grin. "This is a strange, new world. We've got to stick together and cover each other's backs."

"Cover each other's backs..." Roy remarked wistfully. He was instantly reminded of the oath between him and Riza in Amestris.

Coming back to the present, Roy nodded and grinned assuredly. "Yes, I will do everything in my power to keep this group safe and united. You have my word."

"You have ours too." Al replied. "You know, Koffing and Zubat mistakened us for an exploration team. There are probably more bad Pokemon out there as we speak. I feel like we should help Pokemon in need. So why not form a team? We can stay together, and grow stronger together. At the same time, we can help others and even find a way back to our world."

He extended a green fist. "So how about it? Let's be an exploration team!"

Ed and Roy stared at him with newfound inspiration. Ed shrugged.

"I don't think there's any other choice. Whatever you want to do, I'm with you all the way, Al!" Ed bumped a light blue fist against his brother's. They waited for their superior's final word.

"Alphonse has a great point." Roy finally replied. "I'm sure we'll make a lot of progress by going with his plan. And besides...we're soldiers. It's not right for us to just sit around and do nothing. Let's take action! Let's form a team!"

Roy's orange fist completed their triad of arms. Al's grin nearly reached his eyes. "We'll do our best!"

The trio made their way out of Beach Cave with high spirits. They stopped at the middle of the coastline.

"So what now? We just say we're a team and help other Pokemon?" Ed asked.

Roy shook his head. "I don't think so. Being an exploration team is supposed to be proven and official. Kangaskan mentioned something about that."

"And where do we go to get that done?" Ed pressed.

"Wigglytuff's Guild! Kangaskan said something about the guild training exploration teams." Al exclaimed.

"Okay then. So it's off to the guild again." Roy said.

They walked through Treasure Town and passed by the many shops once more. Only Ed was new to the town's sights.

"Wait...you've been to this guild before?" he asked.

"Yes, we went there to look for you. I had assumed that you would turn into a Treecko like your brother." Roy replied.

They came to the plateau and climbed the stairs again. Al stared at the grate with determination.

"I'll try again. This time, I've got nothing to fear."

He stepped onto the thin wooden bars. And as expected, a voice came out: "Pokemon detected! Pokemon detected!"

"Whose footprint? Whose footprint?"

"The footprint is Treecko's! The footprint is Treecko's!"

Al's knees shook, but he soon fought to get himself together. 'No! I can't run away again! I've got the Colonel and Brother by my side. I won't be afraid of voices I can't see!'

"You! Hey YOU! Are you listening?"

"Huh? What?" Al had been too caught up in his thoughts to hear.

"You're obviously not alone, because you've got your Charmander pal and ANOTHER Pokemon with you. Tell that guy to STEP UP here!"

Al turned to Ed. "Oh, they must be talking to you, Brother. I think they want you to step onto the grate."

Ed peered at the spot under Al uncertainly. "It looks like it'll tickle my feet or something..."

"I'm not gonna repeat myself AGAIN! Get over the GRATE!"

Roy hastily shoved Ed over the spot.

"Pokemon detected! Pokemon detected!"

"Whose footprint? Whose footprint?"

The young voice's reply no longer seemed sure and confident. "The footprint is... The footprint is...um..."

"Hey, sentry Diglett! What's the HOLDUP?"

"Er...maybe Totodile's! Maybe Totodile's!"

The loud voice was obviously irritated. "WHAT? MAYBE?"

"I don't know what I don't know..." The Pokemon called Diglett responded apologetically.

Roy frowned. "Are they...arguing?"

A new voice came from behind the gate. "Well, you three don't seem to be the bad type. Sorry for the ruckus."

Ed, Al and Roy watched as the guild's gate unlocked itself. A blue, green and yellow bird Pokemon stepped out to greet them. Its black head was oddly shaped like a musical note, and its tail batted back and forth like a metronome. Even its voice had a musical quality to it.

"Hmm, it's true that Totodiles aren't a very common sight around here. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Chatot, the guild's head of intelligence. Please come inside."

Without waiting for a reply, he hopped past the gate. The trio exchanged a questioning glance, and trailed behind Chatot. They went down a peculiar spiral of stairs and entered a big room.

"Wow! These groups of Pokemon must be exploration teams." Al exclaimed.

They saw a Wurmple and a Swellow talking amongst themselves. A Scyther, Zangoose and Sandslash hovered over a board full of posted papers, discussing on where to explore next. A trio of Poochyena yipped and barked to each other excitedly.

Chatot addressed Roy, Ed and Al curtly. "Now, if you don't have a good reason to bring about my attention, it's best if you leave. We don't have time for silly surveys."

Roy quickly shook his head. "No, that's not why we're here. We were interested in forming an exploration team."

Chatot fluttered his wings in slight disbelief. "An exploration team, you say?" he turned his back to them as he muttered, "It's not often that young Pokemon are up for apprenticeship. Our guild is known for strict training and demands...probably too much for these three to handle..."

Al blinked in confusion. "Excuse me? Is there something wrong?"

Chatot whirled around and smiled disarmingly. "N-no, it's nothing. If you really are serious about this, follow me."

They followed him down another flight of stairs. Contrary to the upper room, the lowest level was mostly vacant. To the left of them was a large window. Al rushed up to it and peered outside. "Wow, what a view! You can see the beach and the sea from here."

'Al's getting so worked up over this. It's pretty amusing to see him so excited.' Ed thought.

Chatot acted as if it was nothing extraordinary. "Well, of course. The interior of this guild is built underground and as a part of the cliff. It's only natural that you'd be looking out to the ocean."

"Oh." was all Al said.

Chatot fluttered his wings again. "Ahem, anyway...if you want to register as an official team, you must talk with the Guildmaster, Wigglytuff. And when you do, you have to be very polite and speak only when asked to. Always address him as 'sir.' The last thing we want is to provoke his short temper. Understood?"

"Um...sure." Ed replied. 'Jeez, is this Guildmaster really that scary?'

"I'll go inform him that you're here." Chatot hopped into the open doors.

A moment later, he stepped out and said, "The Guildmaster has granted permission. You may come in."

Roy, Ed and Al entered the Guildmaster's chamber in a single file. A fluffy pink Pokemon had its back turned to them. Chatot addressed it with emphasized, careful respect in his voice. "Guildmaster sir, I've brought the Pokemon who wanted to be apprentices."

The pink Pokemon didn't reply. An awkward silence filled the chamber. Chatot cleared his throat. "Er...Guildmaster?"

Without warning, the pink Pokemon whirled in its spot to properly face them. Roy, Ed and Al jumped back in astonishment.

Wigglytuff regarded them with wide, friendly turquoise eyes, and threw up his small pink hands happily. "Hiya! Glad to meet you, new friends! I'm Wigglytuff, the guild's guildmaster!"

'Yeah, we figured.' Ed thought wryly. But this Wigglytuff didn't seem at all like Chatot's description. As for Roy, Wigglytuff seemed to be a pink, bunny-like version of Alphonse and Major Armstrong put together.

Nevertheless, Roy addressed him properly. As an Amestrian officer, he knew all about respect. "Wigglytuff sir, it is certainly an honor to meet you. My name is Roy. The Treecko is Alphonse, and the Totodile is Fullme-er, Edward."

"Glad to meet you too! Friends, friends. My new friends: Roy, Alphonse and Edward!"

Al and Ed exchanged an amused glance.

Chatot cleared his throat. "Guildmaster, these three would like to register as an exploration team. Please remind them of the necessary rules and-"

"Of course! You'll have all sorts of fun and adventures." Wigglytuff beamed. "But before you do, you must have a team name first."

"A team name?" Ed asked.

Wigglytuff nodded. "Uh-huh! Every team has one. It's a way to recognize your group among others. So...how have you thought of a unique name?"

Before Ed or Al could say anything, Roy was the first to speak up again. He shot his hand in the air to suggest a name.

"Team Mini-Skirts!"

"What!" Ed blurted out. Wigglytuff and Chatot watched curiously as Ed pulled Roy close to whisper in his ear.

"What the hell are you thinking, Colonel? Al and I were thinking of a name more...you know, dignified. Like Team Alchemists or something."

Roy shook his head stubbornly. "I'm still your superior officer, and you two are under my protection. I decide what the team name is."

Ed and Al looked at him helplessly, but didn't make any notion to argue.

Wigglytuff tilted his head to one side. "What are mini-skirts? Are they something to yummy to eat?"

Roy stared off dreamily. "They're yummy to look at..."

Wigglytuff nodded and raised his hands. "Team Mini-Skirts it is. Yoom-TAH!" The room momentarily flashed a brilliant white light. "Congratulations! You are now an officially registered exploration team! Now you need your exploration team kit. It's got everything you need!"

Wigglytuff presented a large box to them. "Go ahead and open it. These are all a gift to you!"

The first thing they saw when they opened the box were three small articles of clothing. Ed grabbed the Scarlet Band, Roy got the Cobalt Bow and Al got the Silver Scarf. The colors suited them perfectly. Next, they pulled out a large tote bag.

"That's your Treasure Bag." Wigglytuff said. "It lets you carry multiple items when you explore dungeons."

Al slung the bag's strap over his shoulder. Finally, the last items in the box were shiny badges. The trio pinned it to their clothing.

"Those badges indicate your Explorer Rank." Chatot explained. "For now, you three are Normal Rank. But if you work hard and exceed expectations, you will get promoted."

"No use telling them that I'm a Colonel, huh?" Roy muttered under his breath.

Ed muttered back to him, "I don't think they even know what a Colonel is."

"Thank you so much!" Al bowed to Wigglytuff and Chatot. "We won't disappoint you!"

The newly formed Team Mini-Skirts pumped their fists in the air. It was certainly a momentous experience for all three of them.

* * *

Roy, Ed and Al were still buzzing with excitement as they left the Guildmaster's chamber. The room wasn't as empty anymore, because it was teeming with other Pokemon. A crawfish Pokemon pointed a claw at them. "Hey, hey, hey! We've got new crewmates!" Next to it, a Pokemon resembling a walking sunflower looked pleasantly shocked. "Eeek! Oh my gosh! They're so cute!"

"Thanks." Al blushed modestly. "And who might you be?"

The crawfish Pokemon spoke for both of them. "I'm Corphish, hey hey! This is Sunflora, my teammate!"

"So you're Roy, Edward and Alphonse, right?" Sunflora asked.

Roy looked surprised. "How did you know?"

Sunflora shuffled her feet sheepishly. "We couldn't help but overhear from the Guildmaster's chamber. Those are such strange names...but oh my gosh, they sound cool too!"

Corphish winked. "We're glad to have new recruits joining us. We've had just enough of Loudred and his obnoxious bragging."

"Who's Loudred?" Ed asked.

"That would be ME, newbies! Don't you ever FORGET it! And Corphish, I HEARD YOU!" A strange purple creature with a disproportionately large mouth glared from his place by a hole. From that hole, a little brown mole Pokemon with a pink nose emerged. "I don't mean to be rude, Loudred, but can you please keep it down? It's almost past curfew, so we ought to get to bed."

Judging from the familiar young voice, Roy guessed that the mole Pokemon must be the sentry Diglett. That would mean that the loud voice supervising Diglett could only belong to Loudred. As soon as Diglett saw Ed, his eyes widened. "You, the Totodile! May I see you for a moment?"

Diglett burrowed closer to where Ed stood. Ed looked down in confusion as Diglett forced him to lift one foot in the air. Diglett studied the foot intensely, then finally nodded.

"Thank you. I won't make that kind of mistake again. I've got to go to bed. Good bye." Diglett ducked back down to the ground and didn't appear again.

Ed raised an eyebrow. "What was that all about?"

Loudred had to explain. "Sentry Diglett hardly makes a mistake in footprint detecting. He analyzed your footprint so he'll know a Totodile when he sees one."

"Oh yeah. So that's why you gave poor little Diglett a good bout of your verbal harassment, hey hey." Corphish said.

"It's my JOB!" Loudred retorted. "And if you new recruits get me MIFFED, you're in for some EAR BLISTERING! I'm going to bed. Catch you LATER!" he turned and left.

Everyone stared after him for a while.

Roy slyly nudged Ed. "Now who does he remind me of?"

Ed huffed. "Don't compare me to him!"

Al yawned and wiped away the tears in his eyes. "Boy am I sleepy."

"Oh, let us show you the way!" Sunflora piped up cheerfully. The trio followed the senior apprentices down the hallway. Sunflora gestured to the first room on the right. "This is where Corphish and I sleep." Then she pointed to the opposite room. "Poor Bidoof has to share a room with Loudred."

Obnoxious snoring could be heard from the room. They tiptoed past the rooms to come to the hallway's dead end. It was a modest, circular room with a window and three small straw beds.

"Chatot must've set this up for you three." Sunflora said. "This is where you'll sleep during your days in the guild."

"Wonderful. Thanks for escorting us." Roy said.

"Hey, hey, hey! No problem!" Corphish replied. "Get some sleep soon, because we get up very early."

He and Sunflora exited the room and waved. "Good night!"

"You too!" Al called.

Ed flopped down on a bed and blew out a big sigh. "Man, so much has happened today."

"But look at us! We're a real exploration team!" Al yawned again. "Maybe all this excitement's making me tired."

"I'm glad we made some new friends so quickly." Ed remarked. "And Wigglytuff wasn't the least bit scary. What a relief."

"I can't wait for tomorrow. Good night, Brother. Good night, Colonel."

"'Night, Al." Ed mumbled drowsily. Apparently, he seemed too sleepy to address Roy. He tossed over to one side, and didn't make another sound.

"Good night, you two." Roy replied quietly.

The brothers quickly fell asleep, but Roy laid in his bed with his eyes wide open. 'I haven't voiced my doubts until now. I wonder how things are back in Amestris? Will they notice that we're gone? What exactly happened before we entered the Pokemon world?'

He tried to remember; but to his surprise, no memories resurfaced. 'What made us enter the gate? And why did my transmutation go wrong? We were supposed to transport to Amestris, not the Pokemon world...'

Roy rolled to his side to face the window and looked out at the full moon. 'Well, there isn't much we can do beyond this. And it's no use telling all this to the Elric brothers. I don't want to ruin their excitement. I'd better get some sleep.'

A few minutes later, Roy's heavy eyes closed as he fell into a peaceful rest.

**This fic is so much fun to write! I love combining FMA and Pokemon. :) Next on chapter 3: Roy, Ed and Al get a first taste at guild life!**


	3. The First Job

**I would like to thank Cobar, iTorchic and the rest of my friends for their wonderful reviews so far! I haven't played the game's story for a very long time, but I'm trying my best to make it as accurate as possible.**

Explorers of Shambala (3)  
The First Job

"UP AND AT 'EM! IT'S MORNING!"

"Aaaaaah! What the hell?" Ed cried.

Rudely wrenched from their peaceful sleep, the trio jumped up in fright. Al stumbled around his bed like a Confused Pokemon. "Whoa, what a ridiculously loud bellow! My ears...I think they're bleeding!"

Ed and Roy looked no better than Al. Their eyes spun, and their eardrums pounded. The loud voice persisted again.

"You HEARD me! Get up! I don't wanna be late because of you three whelps!"

Roy glared at the source of all the shouting, Loudred, indignantly. "I'm not a kid."

Loudred shrugged. "Kid, newbie, whelp, it's all the same to me." he turned back to verbally assault the other apprentices.

Roy groaned. "Ugh...I don't know if I'll ever recover from that...Oh, shoot!"

"What now, Colonel?" Ed growled.

"We overslept! Let's hurry, the guild might be expecting us!"

The trio's grogginess vanished as they dashed down the hallway. They skidded to a halt at the guild's second sublevel. The guild's crew had already arranged themselves in two rows that faced Wigglytuff and Chatot.

"We're very sorry...for oversleeping..." Al panted.

From the other end of the trio's row, Loudred turned and glared balefully at them. "I told you, I WARNED you not to dilly dally on your first day-"

"Loudred, do please shut up." Chatot squawked. "Your voice is so obnoxious."

Loudred straightened and looked disgruntled. "Hmph." he huffed.

Chatot turned to the rest of the crew and cleared his throat for attention.

"Ahem. Before we begin our day, let us acknowledge three of our newest recruits: Edward, Roy and Alphonse."

All eyes turned to the trio. Then they clapped and smiled heartily. A beaver-like Pokemon started tearing up.

"Oh, by golly! I'm not the newest apprentice anymore! It's got me all a'snifflin'."

"Now, on to our daily guild pep rally. Guildmaster, please lead us!"

Roy, Ed and Al could only listen to the recited words as the crew shouted out with gusto and enthusiasm.

"One! Don't shirk work! Two! Run away and pay! And three! Smiles go for miles!"

Chatot swung his tail back and forth as he declared, "Okay, Pokemon. Time to get to work!"

Every member threw up their hands with huge smiles plastered to their faces. "Hooray!"

The trio stood awkwardly and cluelessly as the crew dispersed to perform their duties. Chatot remained at his spot, and he beckoned Roy, Ed and Al over.

"You three...since this is your first day, I will introduce you to the exploration team procedures."

They followed Chatot up the first sublevel, where they faced one of the notice boards.

"What are all these papers for?" Al asked.

"This is called a job notice board. Here is where you select a mission suitable to your skill level." Chatot explained.

"What kind of missions are there?" Ed inquired.

"Requirements to complete a job vary among clients. Most of these jobs posted on this board, however, involve rescuing lost Pokemon in mystery dungeons."

Roy tilted his head in confusion. "Mystery dungeons? What's that?"

Chatot seemed to frown in disapproval. But before he opened his beak, Al quickly cut in.

"I've heard about these so-called dungeons in the Pokemon book my brother and I own. They are special places for exploration and adventuring. What's weird about them is that the floor layout changes every time you enter it. The same room might even change when you revisit it. Remember the cave we trekked through before coming to the guild? That was a mystery dungeon. And a small one at that."

Chatot nodded to Al appreciatively. "You seem to be pretty knowledgable about this prior to your recruitment. That saves me a lot of explaining to do. Now, there are some dungeons that boast uncharted territory...places that no Pokemon has ever come across before. A team might just get lucky to discover one, and even dive in to get treasure!"

Ed's eyes gleamed at the prospect of traveling to new places. He was the more outgoing and adventurous of the Elric brothers. "So uh...are you assigning us something new and special?" he asked excitedly.

Chatot chuckled and shook his head. "Do I look like the type to throw new recruits into some unknown dungeon with powerful foes? Since this is your first day, I will take the liberty to pick a managable assignment for you."

The bird Pokemon scrutinized the board, then untaped one of its posted papers. He nodded in satisfaction. "Ah, here we go. I'll read it aloud to you: Seeking kindly exploration teams! I've lost my precious pearl, and I'm utterly helpless without it! If you can find it, I'll be sure to reward you gratefully and generously. From Spoink."

Ed bristled with mingled disappointment and indignation. "What! We have to venture in a dungeon to look for an item some irresponsible Pokemon lost? What about exploring and finding treasure?"

"Hush!" Chatot snapped. "As a beginning exploration team, you are to stick with helping Pokemon in need. That is a must! Freelance exploration can come later when you've moved up the ranks."

He glanced at the bottom of the letter. "It says here that Spoink last saw his pearl at the bottom of a place called Drenched Bluff."

He stuffed the letter into Al's treasure bag. "When you accept a job, you must keep it with you in order to remember the mission and carry it out. You can accept up to eight letters in your bag. But for today, you'll stick with only this one. That is all for now. Dismissed!"

The trio went up another flight of stairs until they exited Wigglytuff's guild.

"Drenched Bluff, huh? I'll tell you what's a damn bluff...going on this outrageous fiasco and doing the work for someone else." Ed grumbled and sulked.

"Lighten up, Brother. We have to be content with what Chatot assigned us. You heard him, we can't go exploring uncharted dungeons anytime soon. If we keep doing jobs like this, we'll get stronger and better. Remember our promise at Beach Cave?"

"Yeah, yeah. I remember."

"Hey Fullmetal, this isn't any different than the missions I dish at you back in Amestris. This stuff shouldn't be hard for you." Roy said. It was his own odd way of consoling Ed.

Ed threw up his small blue hands in resignation. "Okay everyone, I get it. I'm gonna do this mission with you two, whether I like it or not."

Al's face lifted. "That's the spirit, Brother!"

They arrived at the crossroads and turned left: the starting points for all dungeons. Al held out his Wonder Map as they made their way to Drenched Bluff.

"Okay, the place should a little further from the Beach Cave..."

"My feet ar getting soaked. I think we're getting close, Alphonse." Roy remarked.

The trio took in their new surroundings. It didn't look much different from the previous dungeon, but the rocks appeared to be more jagged and slicked with excess moisture.

As they passed through the cave mouth, Al said, "Careful, guys. We don't want to slip on these stones and-"

Ed yelped as he tripped and tumbled down the sloping tunnel. He barreled into several Anorith, and finally came to rest when the Anorith formed a landing cushion for him.

Roy rolled his eyes. "So much for the sneaky approach. Do you want to attract every Pokemon in this cave with your loud mouth?"

Ed glared. "This place ain't called Drenched Bluff for nothing. Besides, my foot got caught on that stupid wet and sharp stone."

Roy sighed and shrugged, and followed Al farther into the cave. Like the Pokemon from Beach Cave, the team's opponents weren't that tough. But Roy began to notice something peculiar.

"How come Alphonse is able to scare away the enemy with less effort than me or Fullmetal? I have to unleash fire twice as much to get the job done."

"Maybe it's got to do with our types." Al mused. "Fire obviously isn't great against water. But grass-type attacks really sent those Pokemon running. I wonder just how many 'types' are there?"

"We'll never know till we find out." Roy replied. "But first, let's stick to what we know. I hate to admit it, but you and Fullmetal will have to dish out the attacks while I back you up."

Al nodded. "Sounds like a sensible plan. Let's do it!"

Roy's strategy proved to be very effective. The trio made better progress, and Roy didn't get easily exhausted like he could've been. Along the way, Roy discovered a very useful object. When Ed volunteered to drink the bottled liquid, it enhanced his morale and power.

"I thought it would taste like medicine, but it was great!" Ed exclaimed.

Roy read the label. "It says 'Max Elixir.' These can really come in handy."

The trio trekked through the bluff's interior, battled a couple of Anorith, Chingling, Lileep and Shellos until they reached a dead end. They stood in the middle of a circular stone plaza with surrounding moss and a bubbling fountain in the front.

"Hey, look at that!" Al exclaimed.

A milky-pink orb gleamed on a small elevation of stones just before the fountain. The team approached and studied it with wonder.

Roy scooped it up delicately and turned it over in his hands.

"Round and shiny...it's got to be the pearl Spoink was missing."

Al got the pearl from Roy and stowed it away in the bag. "Our mission is done. Let's go back and make a client happy."

* * *

Ed, Al and Roy's client was a little, brown pig-like Pokemon with a springy tail. As soon as Spoink caught sight of its presented pearl, it bounced and danced with ecstatic joy.

"You've found it! You've retrieved my precious pearl!"

It set the orb on its head and beamed at the trio. "Oh, how can I ever thank you three?"

Ed rubbed his fingers. "Perhaps with a little reward money-"

Al roughly jabbed his elbow into Ed's side. "We were glad to help a Pokemon in need. We're only apprentices; you don't have to reward us anything."

"Yet your team still managed to find and bring back my pearl. I can't be more joyful. So here is your reward!"

Spoink presented a huge pile of gold coins to them. Roy, Ed and Al gawked at the money with shock.

"All this is ours?" Ed sputtered.

"We're given so much for doing so little..." Roy shook his head in astonishment.

"Not true, not true." the Spoink piped. "This is nothing compared to my pearl's value. Please accept the reward; it's a thank you from the bottom of my heart!"

"Um...thank _you_, Spoink..." Al said. Like the others, he was taken aback by the generous gesture. They watched as Spoink turned and bounced its way upstairs.

Ed moved forward to collect the money, but Chatot barred his way with an outstretched wing.

"Not so fast. You must remember a very important guild rule."

"And what is that?" Roy asked.

Chatot rounded up the bulk of the money and handed out a much smaller amount to the trio. Ed's jaw dropped as his face shifted from joy to disappointment.

"What? Only 300 Poke? Out of like, 3000?"

"How else can the guild get its financial funding and team support? Without this money, you three wouldn't be a team in the first place. It's only right that you contribute to your guild as well as helping Pokemon."

Ed stamped one foot as he scowled moodily. "But we-"

"Hush! You must comply with the rules. Sacrifice and obedience are the first demands of an exploration team. You three are done with jobs for the day."

With the little money they had, the trio trudged downstairs.

* * *

Ed huffed a frustrated sigh as he plopped into his bed.

"Today wasn't real spectacular..."

Al shrugged. "Cheer up a little, Brother. We helped out a Pokemon, and it was happy that we completed the job. _That's_ something."

"Optimistic as ever, Al." Ed grumbled as he rolled to his side.

"Remember that we're the newest team in town." Roy said. "Don't expect us to be treated like high and mighty explorers anytime soon."

"It's like the military. We'll work hard and always boost our morale in even the biggest obstacles. That's the only way we'll pull through." Al said in determination. Then he yawned and tucked his hands behind his head. "Let's hope for a great day tomorrow."

Roy and Ed watched as Al gradually fell asleep. Ed stared out the window at the moonlit sea. He didn't look as angry as he was before.

"Al's right. Exploration teams are like alchemists. We work for the people. This time, we'll work for the benefit of all Pokemon. When I think about it, that grateful face of Spoink's made my day. Sure, that guild rule bogged me down a little bit. But maybe they're trying to teach us something. That the thanks from other Pokemon is more important and fulfilling than material gain."

"Spot-on, Fullmetal." Roy replied softly.

Ed's mouth parted in a wide, toothy yawn. "All this deep, profound wisdom stuff's making me drowsy. See you in the morning, Colonel."

Ed's soft snores quickly filled the room. Roy watched the flickering flame of his tail until the fuzzy heat and light lulled him to sleep.

**Coming up on chapter 4: Roy, Ed and Al explore Treasure Town to meet new friends, as well as discovering a strange ability!**


	4. The Scream: Part 1

**Jeez, finally. After a chaotic junior year, I'm finally geared back into my fanfic writing mode and squeezing out updated chapters. I pretty much have every Pokemon recruited and dungeons beaten, so I'm starting a new adventure on my Explorers of Darkness game. Instead of Esme and Carlisle, I now have Galatea (Treecko) and Miria (Torchic). I also resetted partly because I want to refresh my memory on the game's storyline. It's been way too long since I last touched any game console. Dx**

Explorers of Shambala  
The Scream: Part 1

"UP AND AT 'EM! IT'S MORNING!"

Ed jolted in his bed and grabbed the sides of his head. "Worst déjà vu ever!"

Al and Roy looked as if they drank sour milk while freefalling. Without waiting for the trio's recovery, Loudred stomped off.

"Did we oversleep again?" Al mumbled.

Roy rubbed at his bleary eyelids and peeked his head into the hallway.

"No, I see Corphish and Sunflora stumbling out of their beds. Let's move it, you two."

Roy, Ed and Al nearly bumped into the beaver Pokemon as it hastily scuttled out to avoid Loudred's volatile wrath.

As soon as the guild's crew assembled themselves, they took up the daily pep chant. Al, with his photographic memory and early enthusiasm, was the only one in his team to join in.

"One! Don't shirk work! Two! Run away and pay! And three! Smiles go for miles!"

Roy and Ed simply stood with dazed, drowsy faces.

"Okay, Pokemon! Time to get to work!" Chatot sang.

"Hooray!" Everyone cheered.

Once again, Chatot motioned for Team Mini-Skirts to remain at their spot.

He observed the blank looks that still crossed their faces. "Still clueless, I see."

Chatot perked his head, as if remembering something. "Oh, I nearly forgot...follow me, you three."

Team Mini-Skirts dutifully trailed behind Chatot as they went upstairs. Chatot led them over to the far right of the sublevel's floor.

"Hey, it's another board." Ed remarked. "Weren't we at the other side yesterday?"

"Yes, that's the job notice board. This one before us is-"

"Wow, there are pictures of some pretty cool-looking Pokemon on here!" Al exclaimed. "Are they famous explorers or even heroes?"

Chatot's face held mixed irritation and amusement. "As I was going to say...the Pokemon you see here...are outlaws. They are defiers of law and must be dealt with swift justice."

Al frowned. "So these are wanted posters. And every one of them has a bounty on its head."

"Precisely. Exploration teams may choose missions to complete errands or hunt down outlaws." Chatot explained. "Just like with jobs, you have your spectrum of wrongdoers. You've got your petty thieves, truly diabolical fiends and everything in between!"

"So are you going to give us another mission so we can nab a real criminal?" Ed asked excitedly.

Roy couldn't help but add, "Now we're talking. Something I can really look forward to."

Chatot made a high-pitched, musical laugh. "It's been only a day since your very first mission, and you're willing to throw yourselves against a rogue Pokemon? You three greatly amuse me. The line between sheer enthusiasm and stupidity is a very thin one, you know."

Ed bristled with indignity. "Hey, you have _no_ idea what we've gone through and experienced when we were-"

Roy's orange hand clapped over Ed's toothy mouth. "Can it, Fullmetal. Don't forget who we are."

Despite the vague comment, Roy gave him a long, meaningful stare until Ed got the silent message.

Chatot batted his tail to and fro. "Hahaha, I was only kidding. You'll fight an outlaw, I promise. It's only a matter of finding the right one suitable to your skill level. You'll find that your team will be more successful with wise choices."

Chatot paused, then went on: "Speaking of which...before choosing an outlaw, I would like you to be familiar with the town you live in to ensure further mission success. Being resourceful is the key to an effective team and wise material investment."

Al nodded. "Sounds good to me."

Chatot craned his neck and called out, "Bidoof! Bidoof, are you in here?"

"Er, yessir! Comin' right away, sir!"

The beaver Pokemon they had seen earlier hastily came over from the westernmost hallway. Bidoof was a stout Pokemon with beady eyes, huge buck teeth and an overall comical face. Its voice was heavily tinged with a country accent.

"I was just helpin' Chimecho prepare upcomin' meals in the mess hall. Anything ya need, Chatot?"

"Well, I just thought that you could give our newest team a tour around Treasure Town. I'm sure they could use whatever advice you've picked up when _you_ used to be the new apprentice."

"Sure thing, Chatot sir! I'd be mighty glad to do the job, yup yup!"

Chatot nodded. "Excellent. All right, carry on with your business."

Bidoof gestured to the trio. "Follow me up them stairs."

When they reached the guild's exterior, he asked, "Now what are your names again? Corphish might've mentioned 'em, but my memory ain't exactly the sharpest tool in the drawer."

The trio introduced themselves to him.

Bidoof whistled. "Roy, Edward and Alphonse? They sound like mighty complicated names to me. But I'll make sure to remember 'em soon enough. Okay, let's head to Treasure Town."

The commonplace was just as thriving and bustling when the team had last visited. The only familiar place, Kangaskan Storage, was all the way at the other side. So the team was currently surrounded by strangers and their unfamiliar vendors. Bidoof was quick to let them in with information.

"You see that floatin' ghost Pokemon with a counter brimmin' with coins? That'll be Duskull Bank, where you keep your money in a safe place so you won't lose 'em in a dungeon."

Duskull's eyes gleamed as he aimed his perpetual grin at the trio. "Let me know if you are in need of my services, hee-hee!"

Bidoof shrugged. "Don't worry...scary as he looks, he's actually real friendly an' dependable."

They meandered farther into the town. Their next stop was a bright yellow and black shop. Behind it stood a rather big, intimidating Pokemon with bristling striped fur and twin electrical conductors as tails.

"Whoa, who's that cool looking guy?" Ed asked.

"This here's the Electrivire Link Shop. He can link moves for you if you pay him."

"What is 'linking moves.'?" Roy inquired.

Electrivire answered his question. "It'll come in handy when you're out and about, I'll tell ya that. Most of the time, you've got speed and power to use only one move. But with my services...I'll charge you up with so much energy that you can use two, three or even four moves all at once!"

"Sounds neat. We might check up with you next time." Al said.

Bidoof, Roy, Ed and Al crossed the bridge to the other side of town. The beaver Pokemon gestured to the shop at their immediate right. Two chameleon-like Pokemon helped each other to rearrange their merchandise.

"You'll stop by this place a whole lot. The Kecleon Shop is where you can buy all sorts of items that will aid your explorin'. The green brother sells mainly consumable stuff, like Apples and Berries. The purple brother sells orbs an' TMs."

"What's a TM?" Al asked.

"Oh, it's a mighty special gadget that teaches you a new move to use in battle."

"Is it like an alchemy manual that teaches you how to perform transmutations?" Ed asked.

Bidoof looked baffled. "Er...what you just said went clear over my head...but yeah, something along that line. I'm gonna head back to the Guild so you can explore for a little bit an' get familiar with everything 'round here. I'll be at the notice board if ya need me."

"Okay, thank you Bidoof." Roy replied.

The beaver Pokemon shuffled down the road and over the bridge. A pair of round, blue, mouse-like Pokemon hopped past him. One looked older and bigger than the other. They stopped at the Kecleon shop and stood on their tiptoes to peek above the counter.

The green Kecleon gave an affectionate smile. "Well, if isn't Marill and his little brother, Azurill!"

Marill grinned back. "Good morning! We'd like an Apple, please."

Kecleon rummaged under the counter and produced a stuffed paper bag. "Sure thing. That'll be 50 Poke."

As Marill counted his coins, Kecleon remarked, "You know, I noticed that you've been buying apples all week. I should've known what you wanted as soon as you came."

Azurill stared back at the Kecleon brothers with sad worry. "Our mama's sick, and she can't walk around very far. We're buying her food while she stays home."

The purple Kecleon looked just as dismayed and sympathetic. "Oh my...I'm so sorry to hear that. But it's very heartwarming to hear that two sweet kids like you are doing a great thing for your mother."

"It's the least we can do to help her." Marill replied. He was about to accept the bag from Kecleon when Azurill pleaded, "May I take home the apple this time? Mama says I'm a big boy now."

Marill chuckled. "Sure thing, bro. Don't forget to thank the Kecleon brothers too."

Azurill's tiny blue body bobbed. "Thank you so much!"

The Kecleons beamed. "The pleasure was ours. Send our regards to your mother for us."

"We will!" Marill piped.

The pair started to leave and cross the bridge. Then they rushed right back to the counter.

"Mr. Kecleons! There's an extra apple in our bag!" Marill exclaimed. "I'm sure we didn't pay for a second one."

The purple Kecleon waved a dismissive hand. "Go ahead and share it amongst yourselves. Consider it a gift from my brother and me, free of charge!"

Azurill leapt with joy. "Really? Thank you so much!"

And as the little Pokemon jumped, an apple tumbled from the bag he was holding. The fruit rolled to a stop at Ed's feet. Ed stooped to pick it up and offered it to Azurill.

"Here ya go, kid. Wouldn't want to forget this, do you?"

"Thanks, Mr. Totodile."

Azurill received the apple from Ed and hurried off after Marill.

"What a pair of sweet young Pokemon." the green Kecleon remarked. "It's a shame that they're working themselves so much to take care of their poor mother."

Ed hardly heard the Kecleon's comment, because an utterly strange feeling washed over him.

Flashes of dull orange obscured his vision and sent tingling sensations rushing through his brain.

'What...the hell? Is there something wrong with me?'

Suddenly, everything around him went black except for a rush of bright light that dazzled his eyes for a moment. It went black again, then he heard a voice piercing his senses.

"...H-HELP!"

It was over before he knew it, and Ed still stood in a daze as the sight of Market Square replaced the darkness. He turned to see Roy and Al eying him oddly.

"Something wrong, Brother?"

"What were you doing, staring off like that?"

"Uh...did you guys...just hear a scream moments ago?"

Roy's brow furrowed. "A scream? What are you talking about?"

Al shrugged. "Must be your imagination. I didn't hear any kind of cry or scream."

Ed put a hand to his chin in confusion. "I heard it right after...Azurill brushed my hand as he took the apple from me. Everything went black, then someone screamed 'Help!'"

Ed turned to the Kecleon Brothers. "Did you two hear anyone shout for help?"

The chameleon Pokemon exchanged glances then regarded Ed with confused, wide-eyed reptilian gazes.

"No, I didn't hear anything like that." the green Kecleon replied.

"Me neither." the purple Kecleon chimed.

"Huh. That's weird." Ed mumbled.

"Come on, Fullmetal. This isn't the time to daydream." Roy said. "We've got plenty of errands ahead of us, so let's go."

Roy, Ed and Al crossed the bridge only to see Marill and Azurill again, this time accompanied by a strange stout Pokemon. It had yellow and brown skin, a short, floppy trunk and narrow, beady eyes. Roy couldn't tell whether he looked sneaky or simply sleepy. Nevertheless, the Pokemon seemed pleasant enough as he was deep in conversation with the brothers.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Drowsee!"

"Oh no, the pleasure is all mine."

"What's going on?" Roy asked as he and his team joined in.

"Azurill and I had lost an important item a while ago, even before our mother got sick." Marill said. "Mr. Drowsee told us he had seen it recently!"

"And he's even offering to help us look for it!" Azurill piped.

"That's very nice of you, Mr. Drowsee. It's especially hard to find Pokemon like you these days." Marill said.

"What do you mean by that? Has crime been especially high now?" Roy asked.

"Uh-huh. I'm not sure why, but more and more Pokemon have gone whack or crazy enough to do bad things. You can't really trust anyone anymore. But I feel that we can really trust Mr. Drowsee."

Drowsee rubbed his trunk, a gesture of modesty. "I would have to be cold and heartless to turn a blind eye on kids in need. I'm happy to help. I think I saw your item down this way..."

Drowsee turned to escort the brothers when he bumped shoulders against Ed.

"Oh, please excuse me..."

Ed barely noticed Drowsee and the brothers leaving as he reeled from another sensation of flashing orange lights.

'Again? Am I having a dizzy spell...?'

A strange new sight replaced the market square right before his eyes. Through the dim, purple haze, Ed peered at unfamiliar rocky terrain. But what caught his attention was Drowsee looming over Azurill. Instead of looking friendly and jovial, Drowsee's face looked contorted and menacing. His deep voice rumbled throughout Ed's mind as he addressed Azurill: "If you're going to keep being difficult, it'll mean big trouble for you."

Azurill stared back with tear-filled eyes and a fearful frown. "H-help!"

The little Pokemon's shrill scream still rang in Ed's ears even as he saw the market square once more.

"Brother, brother!"

Ed finally noticed Al calling out to him. Al and Roy were staring at him curiously. "What's the matter, Brother? You look so grim."

Ed said nothing for a few moments, then he said, "I think I just saw a vision of Drowsee threatening Azurill."

Roy raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? They were just walking down the road."

Ed remained serious. "No, I saw it happen in a...flashback or whatever was going on in my head. I also heard Azurill's scream earlier."

Al folded his arms across his chest. "Are you sure you're not just daydreaming, Brother?"

Ed shook his head wearily. "I have no clue. I guess I'm just tired."

Roy gestured towards the road ahead. "Let's head back to Bidoof. I'm sure he has been waiting on us for a while."

The trio hurried back to the guild, where they reunited with Bidoof at the first sublevel. The beaver Pokemon looked as if he had waited patiently, and now he motioned them over to the outlaw board.

"Glad to see ya back, yup yup! You ready to do some outlaw hunting?"

Ed pumped a blue fist. "Hell yeah, bring it!"

Roy looked just as eager. Al held a slight trace of unease on his green, reptilian face. "Don't pick anyone too tough and scary, Bidoof."

Bidoof gave a wide-toothed grin of reassurance. "Don't you worry; I'll make sure to find the perfect lawbreaker for you three to handle!" he turned to face the board. "Let's see here...eenie, meanie-"

Roy, Ed and Al jumped as a sudden rumble cut Bidoof off.

"W-what's going on? An earthquake?" Al asked urgently.

Ed leapt back as the board took a spin and nearly hit his face. What now faced them was a blank panel, devoid of flyers and pamphlets.

Bidoof didn't react from any of this at all. "Oh, the board's being updated."

The trio slightly relaxed from his matter-of-fact tone and lack of surprise.

"There's gotta be someone who fills the board with new jobs, right? Well, that someone happens to be Dugtrio." Bidoof explained. "When most of them old jobs are accepted by teams, Dugtrio tunnels through the back with new jobs to post."

Roy noticed that other exploration teams nearby had peered at the revolving panel curiously.

"Not many Pokemon notice it." Bidoof said. "But Dugtrio takes mighty pride in what he does, yup yup!"

Three unifed voices sounded from behind the board. "Stand by for updates!"

Another rumble ensued, and the board flipped once more to display newly posted missions.

"Now let's pick from these new bunch of scoundrels!" Bidoof exclaimed. He peered forward to examine the papers, then turned his head.

"Alphonse, what's wrong? You're tremblin'."

Roy and Ed turned to see the Treecko looking up at the board, with his body shivering from head to tail.

"It's not cold in here." Roy remarked.

"No, it's not that." Al's reply came surprisingly strong and angry. "Take a look to the left corner!"

Roy and Ed followed his eyes. Then they stiffened in shock. The poster depicting a tubby yellow and brown Pokemon looked disturbingly familiar.

"It's Drowsee on a poster! He's a wanted criminal?" Ed exclaimed.

"But how? He seemed so harmless." Roy mumbled.

"That doesn't matter!" Al cried. "Azurill is in real trouble! We've got to hurry, you guys!"

Roy and Ed dashed behind Al as they fled upstairs, leaving Bidoof bewildered. As soon as they left the guild, they saw a fretful Marill pacing on a road ahead.

"Hey Marill! Where are Azurill and Drowsee?" Al asked.

Marill turned to them with a deeply worried frown. "Yes, about them...Drowsee was taking the two of us along, but he and Azurill went ahead without me. I got lost on the way. I looked and called, but neither of them answered. So I got scared and came back here for help."

"Which path did they take? Can you show us?" Roy inquired urgently.

"Uh-huh. It's this way!"

The trio followed Marill down a worn and craggy route. Soon nothing else but gray stones and cliffs etched with cracks surrounded them. Marill stopped just before the entrance into a steep and foreboding valley.

Roy peered at a faded wooden sign posted close to the cliff face.

"So you last saw them here? At Mt. Bristle?"

Marill nodded. "I have no idea how deep they've gone. The climb was tough, and the Pokemon there frightened me."

Al replied with a determined spark that lit his eyes. "Don't worry, we'll get your brother back. You take our word for it."

As the trio rushed past Marill to begin the upward trek, Ed couldn't help but get a good glance at his brother. Al didn't look the least bit deterred or hesitant.

'When Al puts his mind to it, nothing scares him. He really wants to save the little guy.' Ed mused. Then he thought about the vision he had back at Treasure Town's square.

'What I saw...turned out to be true. I didn't believe it before, but this Drowsee really is nothing but a petty criminal at heart. Why would he go out his way to threaten a kid? How was I able to foresee such events?' Ed shook his head. 'Damn it, all these questions confuse the hell out of me. I need to concentrate on one thing, and that's to get through this mountain. Answers can come later.'

**I originally intended to have the same number of chapters as those in the game. But I decided to occasionally split chapters into several parts because some are very long. So there you have it. Part 2 coming for sure. Definitely not soon, (college apps, aaaah!) but better than never. :3**


	5. The Scream: Part 2

Explorers of Shambala (5)  
The Scream: Part 2

"Fullmetal! Now is not the time to daydream again."

Ed rolled his eyes. "You don't have to tell me twice, Colonel."

"Well I just did. Back straight and eyes forward, kid!"

Al turned to the bickering pair. "Guys, we need to focus getting to the top instead of fighting with one another. Who we _should_ fight with are-"

"Al, watch it!"

Ed barreled into his younger brother as they narrowly avoided a shot of something white and sticky. Roy took a quick glance at the rock it landed on.

"A spider web?"

Before they knew it, the trio was surrounded by swarms of green and black spider Pokémon. They clicked their fangs threateningly as they inched closer. Roy quickly pushed the Elrics behind him. "Stay out of the way. My fire attacks work well against bugs. Ember!"

The fireball attack hit the closest Spinarak that dared to come near. The singed Pokémon were only replaced by more of their kind. Roy wasted no time. He huffed and puffed away with an onslaught of Ember attacks. But there seemed to be no end to the waves of Spinarak.

"Elrics...a little help here." Roy panted.

"You got it! Bullet seed!"

"Water gun!"

As the sprays of seed and water accompanied Roy's flames, the Spinaraks cleared to create a narrow path among them. Seeing their chance, the team pushed through while dishing out their attacks left and right.

Al was the first to flag out. "I can't shoot seeds forever. Isn't there anything else we can do?"

Soon Ed and Roy grew tired as well. Their attacks diminished in speed and power. The Spinarak horde closed in relentlessly as their sheer numbers overwhelmed the team.

Roy squirmed, struggled and made feeble attempts to swat them away with his flaming tail.

"Goddamn it...get off of me! FLAMETHROWER!"

A brilliant flash of light followed by a wave of searing flame incinerated every Spinarak within his radius.

Ed and Al had watched in awe, then the older Elric recklessly allowed himself to be squashed by Spinarak.

"Brother! What the heck do you think you're doing?"

"Just watch!"

Then the little Totodile summoned every last inch of willpower and unleashed a new attack.

"Eat my balls! HYDRO PUMP!"

A high-powered blast of gushing water sent the Spinarak flying. Right at Al's direction.

The Treecko recoiled in surprise and fear as they barreled into his weary body.

'What am I doing? I can't give up! I can't let a bunch of eight-legged creeps stop me from saving Azurill!'

The mental image of the helpless young Pokémon sent adrenaline washing out Al's fears.

"Take this! RAZOR LEAF!"

Crescents of sharp, hard leaves whirred hard onto the surrounding Spinarak. Finally spent and defeated, the spider Pokémon scuttled back into the cracks they spawned from.

Roy's yellow chest heaved from exhaustion. "What was that all about?"

Ed's knees buckled and he flopped onto the ground. "No idea, but I'm hella glad it's over!"

As he hit the floor, some bottles of liquid tumbled from the open bag he held. Al picked up one, read the label and didn't say a word. Ed got nervous as his little brother simply stood there gaping at the bottle.

Suddenly Al thrusted it at Ed's face. "These max elixirs...How long have they been in our bag?"

Ed was dumbfounded. 'Oh shit. I totally forgot.' "Uh...um..."

Al quivered from head to tail with unsuppressed anger. He trembled so much it looked almost comical. "Don't tell me you had these the whole time!"

He chucked the bottle so that it bounced off of Ed's head.

"I can't believe it!" Al's voice was shrill with exasperation. 'We could've fended off those spider Pokémon a long time ago! We could've been more prepared by drinking those elixirs before entering Mt. Bristle!"

"Jeez...sorry, Al." Ed mumbled sheepishly.

"And you owe me for shoving the spiders at me with your water attack." Al huffed in reply.

Ed was quick to defend himself. "It was by accident! But aren't you glad you got something out of what just happened? We have new attacks now!"

"Fullmetal has a point." Roy cut in. He had a hand under his chin, looking deep in thought. "We got tired and the spiders overran us. But somehow we mustered enough power to fight back and even use attacks stronger than our previous ones."

Al relaxed a little. "Yeah...how was it possible?"

He quickly answered his own question as realization dawned on him. "Maybe it had to do with how we felt during that emergency. We grew tired, but it didn't matter when our lives were on the line."

"Yeah, I felt totally pumped when those spiders tried to squish the life out of me." Ed said. "It was as if my will to survive drove me to keep fighting, or something like that..."

Al looked to Mt. Bristle's peak. "No time for idle chat. We've got an outlaw to catch and a Pokémon to save!"

The trio took quick doses of max elixirs then resumed their hike. Along the way they ran into more Spinarak and new enemies like Starly and Geodude. But thanks to their newfound power, Team Mini-Skirts made it through without so much of a scratch.

Ed clenched his jaw with determination. 'Hang in there kid...we're coming!'

Xx0xxX

At Mt. Bristle's peak, Azurill shrank from the sheer size of the cliff face. He turned to Drowsee, who padded closely behind him.

"Mr. Drowsee, I don't think we can go any further. It's a dead end."

He nodded. "I know."

Azurill didn't seem to notice his ominous tone as he peered around. "Did you say the item was around here? Where's my brother Marill? He is close by, isn't he?"

"No, kiddo. Your brother isn't coming for you."

Azurill stiffened. He started to fret and fidget. "It's...so big and scary here. Did Marill get lost?"

"Here's the thing, squirt. There IS no item anywhere on this mountain. I tricked you."

Azurill flinched and paled. "W-what are you saying, Mr. Drowsee?"

"Like I said, I lied about claiming to see your precious item. I lured you here so you can help me find my own precious item."

Drowsee gestured to the cliff face. "See that hole over there?"

Azurill barely turned to look. His round body quivered like a tree under a hurricane.

"Rumor has it that there's a trove of thief treasure inside!" Drowsee went on. "But here's the problem: I'm too big to squeeze in there. That's where you come in. Just get in and haul out the treasure to me. Do me that favor, and nothing bad's going to happen."

"I-I want my brother! I want to go home!" Azurill wailed. "Waaaaah!"

He wildly bounced away until Drowsee blocked his way. The stout Pokémon looked irritated as he waved his hands high. "Hey, stop that! I told you that after we were done we would head back and see your brother, okay?"

Azurill backed away from the now menacing figure before him. Drowsee made a fearsome leer.

"If you keep being difficult, you're in for big trouble!"

"_H-help_!"

"Stop right there!" a voice cried.

Roy, Ed and Al rushed to the scene, weary but determined. Ed boldly stepped forward.

"It's over, Drowsee! Your career as an outlaw is finished! Now leave Azurill alone!"

Drowsee's small eyes widened. "You've come to get me? H-how did you know where to find us?"

Roy and Ed adopted aggressive stances and glares. Al didn't look so confident as he tried to fight off the trembling. Unfortunately, Drowsee spotted it.

"Ha, I get it now. You three are just a bunch of rookies! You're all talk and no bite."

Now it was Roy and Ed's turn to falter. Al gritted his teeth and asserted himself.

"And you're just a greedy bully harassing some poor kid! We won't let you get away with it; I swore we would save Azurill!"

Drowsee's eyes gleamed as he shoved Azurill aside. "A change of spirit, eh? Well then...show me what you got!"

"Brace yourselves!" Roy warned.

The trio scattered to avoid Drowsee's rumbling charge. Roy was quick to swing his tail across Drowsee's exposed back. Drowsee roared as the flame left a scorching line on his body. Before Roy could dodge, Drowsee seized his tail and tossed him away.

Ed growled and leapt at his foe with open arms and jaws. "Why you-!"

Drowsee turned in time to thrust his palms forward and fix Ed with a penetrating gaze. Ed blinked in confusion as a complex pattern of rings emitted from Drowsee's palms. Immediately he felt heavy and sluggish.

"Damn it, why can't I-" he mumbled.

He dropped to the ground without a second thought.

Roy grunted as he picked himself up. "Fullmetal! What happened to him?"

Al rushed over to shake his brother, but to no avail. "He's...sleeping! Drowsee must've used some kind of hypnotic move!"

Drowsee made a barking laugh. "Look at him...out like a little baby! I think I'll squish him like one too."

Al quickly unleashed a Razor leaf attack before Drowsee could make a move. The outlaw cried out as the sharp leaves darted and sliced from all directions. Al pulled Ed to safety and next to Azurill.

"Little guy, can you do me a favor and try to wake up my brother?"

"Sure. I'll do what I can."

Al rushed back into battle, where Roy was busy pummeling Drowsee with fireballs.

"He doesn't have much left!" the Charmander cried. "We'll finish him together, Alphonse!"

"Let's do it, Colonel!"

Al unleashed his Bullet Seed attack, with Roy's Flamethrower following suit. The synchronized attack resulted in an impressive barrage of flaming seeds that pummeled into Drowsee with full force.

"Rooooaaaaar!" Drowsee barreled backwards and collapsed into an unconscious heap.

Al and Roy sighed in mixed relief and exhaustion. They walked over to Azurill and a sleeping Ed.

"Brother still hasn't stirred?" Al asked.

Azurill shook his head. "I've tried to poke him, bounce on him...nothing would get him to wake up."

Suddenly, Roy broke out with a devilish grin. A grin so evil-looking that it would put even Kimblee to shame.

"Oh, I know just the thing to get him going."

The Colonel Charmander leaned close to Ed's ear and hollered shamelessly: "I've never seen a Totodile look so _short_ in his sleep! You're even _tinier_ when you're flat on the ground instead of standing with your usual _tiny_ height-"

SLAP!

Roy was instantly knocked over as Ed's blue hand whipped out to smash the Colonel in the face. Al and Azurill hastily backed away from a fuming, snorting and stamping Ed.

"What. Did. You. Just. Say? I dare you to repeat that in my face, Mustang!"

Al was brave enough to intervene his brother's rage.

"Whoa there, calm down! The Colo-er, Roy was just trying to wake you up!"

Ed slightly relaxed, but he didn't drop his scowl. "He didn't have to go that far to call me-"

"Look, I'm sorry okay?" Roy winced as he rose to his feet and rubbed his stinging cheek. "You were knocked out pretty badly. There was no other way to snap you out of it."

But Al remembered that mischievous smirk. 'I bet the Colonel just wanted to tick him off as well." he thought in amusement.

Then Ed saw the fallen Drowsee a few feet away from them. "Oh, you guys already beat the crap out of him?"

"Yeah, they were so brave!" Azurill exclaimed. "You three saved me!"

"We're not out of the woods yet, kid." Ed said. "We still have to reunite you with your brother. And drag the fat lard down with us too."

Team Mini-Skirts, with Drowsee in tow and Azurill trailing behind, made their way down Mt. Bristle without much trouble. Azurill leapt with joy as soon as he saw Marill at the mountain's entrance.

"You brought Azurill back!" Marill cried out happily. Azurill hurtled into his brother's embrace as his eyes gushed out tears.

"M-Marill, I was so scared! I don't know what would've happen if this rescue team didn't...if they didn't..."

Marill tried to soothe him. "Ssh...it's okay, you're safe with me now." he turned to the trio. "I can't thank you enough. Please tell me your names."

"I'm Roy. The Totodile is Edward, and the Treecko is Alphonse."

Marill nodded. "I will never forget your names, nor will I forget what you have done for us. Thank you again!"

Al smiled modestly. "We did what we could do to help. Now, about this outlaw..."

"We'll take care of him, BZZT!"

The metallic, monotonous voice belonged to a bizarre magnet-like Pokémon followed by a pair of smaller ones. As it hovered closer, it stared everyone down with its single red eye. "Officer Magnezone, at your service, BZZT! Marill had asked us for help in searching for Azurill at ground level. But it looks like that has already been taken care of, BZZT!"

Magnezone turned to Drowsee, who was stirring and moaning groggily. "So this is the petty crook who kidnapped the little one. Rest assured, he will be put in his proper place soon enough, BZZT! Magnemites, immobilize the outlaw."

The Magnemite subordinates flew forward and emitted a barrier of electricity surrounding Drowsee. The tubby Pokémon looked as if to resist, but Magnezone said, "Fight all you would like, but this special kind of electricity will only paralyze you, BZZT! Now follow us, and don't try anything funny!"

"Aawww..." Drowsee's shoulders slumped in dismay as he was herded away by the metallic officers.

Al made a jubilant leap. "We actually did it! We took down our first real outlaw!"

"Wow, that was your first?" Azurill asked in surprise. "When you fought Drowsee, it sure looked like you had done a million times before!"

Ed's chest puffed, despite his poor show of displaying humility. "I wouldn't say a million, but yeah, we nabbed quite a bit of troublemakers here and there."

"Says the one who fell asleep on us during the battle." Roy muttered.

"Hey, you want me to smack you in the face again?"

Everyone laughed as they headed back to Treasure Town together in high spirits.

**Whew, that took a little longer than I had expected. Between updating this and "Retina and the Sky," plus a new Claymore story I'm writing up, I'm gonna be a super busy little Asian! xD**


End file.
